AboutDottie Norkus Expertise I can address questions concerning: airline pilot employment & entry level airline careers in the Unites States, women pilots, flight training, pilot certification, non-university flight scholarships (mostly for women), aviation & airline safety topics, aviation accident investigation, air carrier accidents and airline operations.
Please note, I CANNOT address flight training or career queries from outside the United States. If you are not in the USA, please direct your question to the message boards at www.PPRUNE.org as you can surely find an answer there. For those in India try http://www.indianpilots.com
Also, I cannot address questions about aero engineering degree programs/careers or aviation management careers.
Experience U.S. Regional airline pilot with 15 years previous experience in airline ground operations. I have previously flown as a commercial skydive pilot and ferry pilot.
Organizations I am a charter member of Women In Aviation International as well as the International Organization of Women Pilots: the Ninety Nines. I keep a database of flight scholarships for women (mostly in the Southwestern USA) and mentor student pilots.
Education/Credentials Embry Riddle Aeronautical University certificate in Aviation Safety/Accident investigation.
A.S. in Aerospace Science.
Expert: Dottie Norkus Date: 7/3/2008 Subject: pilot training at 40
Question QUESTION: HI,
I wanted to know if airlines would be less inclined in hiring pilots at 41 after finishing flight school.
ANSWER: Age is not a factor. In the United States, airlines are prohibited from discriminating based on age when hiring pilots. I know a few pilots who were hired after age 40 and even met a few new hires in their 50's so age 41 is still relatively young.
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QUESTION: I do not have prior flying experience. I was wondering if the pilots who were hired at 40 and 50s had prior flying experience. Since I will be new to flying would that be a problem at my age.
Answer Unlike abroad, airlines in the United States do not hire pilots with zero flight experience then train them via in house "cadet pilot" programs to make them airline pilots. So yes, all applicants- regardless of age- must have a minimum required level of flight hours just to apply. After flight training pilots gain these hours by working jobs like flight instruction, banner towing, or dropping skydivers.
